1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of multi-tiered support devices in general and in particular to a stackable lazy Susan style device having a unique central support column.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 420,852; 5,894,944; 3,972,419; and, 5,487,600 the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse multi-level support stands some of which contain relatively rotatable levels.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical arrangement wherein the central support column serves a dual function as both an axis of rotation for all of the vertically elevated support surfaces as well as defining a central reservoir for floral arrangements or in the alternative as a receptacle for other interchangeable decorative elements that would be visually observable through the translucent material from which the support stand was fabricated.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved multi-level rotatable support stand that would incorporate the aforementioned novel central support column into its basic design and construction; and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.
Briefly stated, the rotatable support stand that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a base unit, a central support unit and a plurality of rotatable support units.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the base unit includes an enlarged generally flat base member provided with a central aperture that is dimensioned to fixedly receive the central support unit.
The central support unit comprises in general an elongated cylindrical support member having a closed lower end and an open upper end which define an elongated open mouthed receptacle that may optionally be provided with a decorative closure element.
In addition, each of the plurality of rotatable support units includes a dish-shaped support tray member having a downwardly depending stem element surrounding a central aperture wherein the upper surface of the dish-shaped support member is provided with a plurality of recesses adapted to receive disparate articles or foodstuffs and wherein the dish-shaped support tray members have different diameters and are adapted to be slidably received on the elongated cylindrical support member in a rotatable fashion to one another.